Leading Senate Repubs endorse Norman over Ambler

Miami Senate Republicans are staying out of the Flores-Rivera battle for District 38 in Miami, but that's not so among other leading Senate R's when it comes to the Repub battle for the Tampa seat long held by Victor Crist.

Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Tampa, has put in his time on the other side of the Rotunda, but he isn't getting a warm welcome in his bid to cross over into the Senate.

Incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos and two other leading Senate Republicans just sent out a release endorsing longtime Hillsborough County commissioner Jim Norman, who will face off against Ambler in the Repuiblican primary. (The Miami Senate members, meanwhile, are staying out of the Flores-Rivera battle for District 38 in Miami.)

“For 15 years as a county commissioner, and even more as a community leader, Jim Norman has earned the trust and respect of his neighbors,” said Haridopolos (R-Merritt Island).  “His record of civic achievement is built on solid conservative values, and with the support of the people of Pasco and Hillsborough Counties, he will be a great senator.”
 
Joining the "we love Jim" chorus is Sen. J.D. Alexander (R-Lake Wales) and Sen. Don Gaetz (R-Niceville). 

Legislators take flight as they ground state workers

Seeking to cut costs in hard times, the Legislature banned most out-of-state travel by state employees. But the travel restriction doesn't apply to lawmakers themselves, dozens of whom are headed to national conferences this week and next at public expense.

The Senate will spend up to $24,000 to send six senators to this week's American Legislative Exchange Council conference in Atlanta and six others and a staff member to attend next week's gathering in Philadelphia of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The House will spend as much as $31,000 to send 27 representatives to the ALEC or NCSL conferences. The House limits each lawmaker to $1,150 for one conference at state expense and the Senate will pay $2,000 for each member.

Legislators clamped down on state money used for agency travel by requiring that it get approval as a mission-critical expense. But lawmakers put no such restrictions on their own travel.

The $55,000 cost for their conference travel is the equivalent of funding 21 children in prekindergarten classes, or reinstating bonuses for seven teachers who become nationally certified, or paying for $117 in vaccines for 470 underprivileged children. Full story here.

-- Steve Bousquet

Senate Rs are Bronx bound for Yankee fundraiser

Florida's Republican Senators are heading north to host a New York City fundraiser for baseball fans on Saturday, Sept. 12.

The invitation "to experience the new Yankee Stadium" and contribute generously to Senate Majority 2010 is being sent by the Republican Party of Florida. First Pitch between the NY Yankees and Baltimore Orioles is at 1:05 p.m.

The squeeze play is hosted by Senate President Jeff Atwater, Pro Tem Mike Fasano, and Sens. Mike Haridopolos, Mike Bennett, Don Gaetz and Andy Gardiner.

David Rivera's cash haul: $161k

If money decided an election, Miami Rep. David Rivera is the likely replacement for Miami Sen. Alex Villalobos. Rivera received $161k in contributions last quarter and spent just $14,000. All told, the Republican has raised almost $400k and spent less than $17k.

His opponent, Miami Rep. Anitere Flores, is hot on his trail. She raised last quarter more than $160k, way more than she initially announced. Still, she has half the cash of Rivera.

Atwater in the half-mill club

Senate President Jeff Atwater lived up to his money-man reputation by announcing he scored $500k in political contributions in his race for state CFO. Rep. Pat Patterson faces him in the Republican primary.

"I'm enormously honored by the swift and positive to our campaign," said Atwater. "Our message of transparency, accountability and my goal of making the CFO’s office a watchdog for taxpayers is clearly resonating with Florida voters."

Neck & neck or blowout? Dueling polls shows Rivera leads Flores

Two Miami Republican representatives running for Senate. Two rival polls. Two results. One conclusion: David Rivera leads Anitere Flores in the Republican race for District 38.

But by how much does he lead?

Rivera's poll of 300 likely voters, conducted by FIU pollster Dario Mareno, shows Rivera leads Flores 34% to 15% and leads her among every demographic. Since posting this, we've gotten three emails noting that Mareno contributed $250 to Rivera's campaign.

Flores' poll of 300 voters, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, shows a Rivera with just a 3-point lead (25% to 22%). That's well within the poll's 5.6% margin of error. Also, the poll says that Flores leads Rivera 45% to 28% among those who know both candidates. Note: the error margin for this subset is far higher.

Flores reported a $150k haul in the last quarter. No word yet on how much Rivera raised, though conventional wisdom suggests he raised more.

Flores reports $150k haul

Miami Republican Rep. Anitere Flores is sending out an email to supporters, etc., boasting that she raised $150k in three weeks*** in her race for Sen. D-38. Not a bad haul. But now that there's no legislative session (during which fundraising is banned) she still has some catch-up to do to keep her competitive with Miami Rep. David Rivera.

At the end of last quarter, Rivera had raised $236k and spent $3k. Flores, who started running just before session, had raised just $9k. Rep. Marcelo Llorente's leaving of the race should make the contest a little clearer.

The conventional wisdom: Flores needs less money than Rivera because most of her House district is in the Senate district. Being female helps as well. Rivera wouldn't disclose how much he has raised this past quarter, but sounded confident.

“I hope Anitere does well this quarter because for every dollar she raises now I’ll receive two or three from most of those folks next quarter,” Rivera said

Here's Flores' email:

Dear Friends & Family,

The first fundraising quarter for our campaign for the Florida Senate came to a close this week.  Thanks to all of your support and generosity, we exceeded all expectations and raised more than $150,000 in just 53 days!  Even more significant are the hundreds of phone calls and emails we received from so many of you, offering your time and eager to join our campaign.

You will hear it said that political races are won only by money – we know that is NOT TRUE! Nothing can beat hard work and my unwavering commitment to representing your best interests in Tallahassee – That will be what ultimately decides this campaign! 

Very importantly, we have the home team advantage: as the State Representative for District 114 I currently serve the largest portion of Senate District 38. Since my election in 2004 my team and I have worked tirelessly to constantly reflect your values and respond to your concerns. That is because this is my home too! It is where I have always lived.  Many personal milestones have taken place here including my high school and college graduations, my wedding and the birth of my son.  I am so honored to be your neighbor, your co-worker and your fellow parishioner. 

You, my friends and family, have helped lead me to victory before, and I know that together we will do it again!  Thank you for your constant support. 

Sincerely, 

Anitere

***Error mine. It is 53 days. MC

Miami Republican Rep. Anitere Flores is sending out an email to supporters, etc., boasting that she raised $150k in three weeks*** in her race for Sen. D-38. Not a bad haul. But now that there's no legislative session (during which fundraising is banned) she still has some catch-up to do to keep her competitive with Miami Rep. David Rivera.

Miami Republican Rep. Anitere Flores is sending out an email to supporters, etc., boasting that she raised $150k in three weeks*** in her race for Sen. D-38. Not a bad haul. But now that there's no legislative session (during which fundraising is banned) she still has some catch-up to do to keep her competitive with Miami Rep. David Rivera.

At the end of last quarter, Rivera had raised $236k and spent $3k. Flores, who started running just before session, had raised just $9k. Rep. Marcelo Llorente's leaving of the race should make the contest a little clearer.

The conventional wisdom: Flores needs less money than Rivera because most of her House district is in the Senate district. Being female helps as well. Rivera wouldn't disclose how much he has raised this past quarter, but sounded confident.

“I hope Anitere does well this quarter because for every dollar she raises now I’ll receive two or three from most of those folks next quarter,” Rivera said

Here's Flores' email:

Dear Friends & Family,

The first fundraising quarter for our campaign for the Florida Senate came to a close this week.  Thanks to all of your support and generosity, we exceeded all expectations and raised more than $150,000 in just 53 days!  Even more significant are the hundreds of phone calls and emails we received from so many of you, offering your time and eager to join our campaign.

You will hear it said that political races are won only by money – we know that is NOT TRUE! Nothing can beat hard work and my unwavering commitment to representing your best interests in Tallahassee – That will be what ultimately decides this campaign! 

Very importantly, we have the home team advantage: as the State Representative for District 114 I currently serve the largest portion of Senate District 38. Since my election in 2004 my team and I have worked tirelessly to constantly reflect your values and respond to your concerns. That is because this is my home too! It is where I have always lived.  Many personal milestones have taken place here including my high school and college graduations, my wedding and the birth of my son.  I am so honored to be your neighbor, your co-worker and your fellow parishioner. 

You, my friends and family, have helped lead me to victory before, and I know that together we will do it again!  Thank you for your constant support. 

Sincerely, 

Anitere

***Error mine. It is 53 days. MC

Dear Friends & Family,

The first fundraising quarter for our campaign for the Florida Senate came to a close this week.  Thanks to all of your support and generosity, we exceeded all expectations and raised more than $150,000 in just 53 days!  Even more significant are the hundreds of phone calls and emails we received from so many of you, offering your time and eager to join our campaign.

You will hear it said that political races are won only by money – we know that is NOT TRUE! Nothing can beat hard work and my unwavering commitment to representing your best interests in Tallahassee – That will be what ultimately decides this campaign! 

Very importantly, we have the home team advantage: as the State Representative for District 114 I currently serve the largest portion of Senate District 38. Since my election in 2004 my team and I have worked tirelessly to constantly reflect your values and respond to your concerns. That is because this is my home too! It is where I have always lived.  Many personal milestones have taken place here including my high school and college graduations, my wedding and the birth of my son.  I am so honored to be your neighbor, your co-worker and your fellow parishioner. 

You, my friends and family, have helped lead me to victory before, and I know that together we will do it again!  Thank you for your constant support. 

Sincerely, 

Anitere

***Error mine. It is 53 days. MC

David Rivera's mad-cash scramble

Hitting up fellow lawmakers and taxpayer advocates alike, Miami Republican Rep. David Rivera is blasting out emails in a final fundraising pitch for the quarter. Rivera, who faces fellow Miami Republican Rep. Anitere Flores for state senate, reminds anyone with an email list that there's just a day to go to contribute.

At least one lawmaker (anonymously) groused that Rivera was using state email accounts to solicit contributions, however it appears legal. Rivera solicited via his private email account. In his other email pitch, to taxpayer-types, Rivera fashions himself as the property-tax cutter who will stop tax-cutting legislation from dying in the state Senate.

"As you know, this proposal would cap all property taxes at 1.35% of taxable value while preserving Save Our Homes and all Homestead Exemptions.  This plan cuts property taxes in Florida by 26% statewide," Rivera wrote.

"Unfortunately, once again, our effort to bring much needed property tax relief to the people of Florida died in the Florida Senate. 

"Now I have decided to seek an open seat in the Florida Senate and take our fight for lower property taxes directly into that arena."

Llorente pulls out of Senate race

State Rep. Marcelo Llorente is pulling out of a three-way Republican primary for the state Senate in 2010 and setting his sights on the Miami-Dade county mayor's office in 2012.

A press release said one of his Senate rivals, state Rep. David Rivera, will attend the official announcement tomorrow, but Llorente said he is not throwing his support behind Rivera. Rivera outraised Llorente $235,335 to $133,750 in the first three months of this year.

"I felt comfortable with where we were in the senate race,'' Llorente said. "At the end of the day, my decision was about wanting to spend more time with my children at home, not in Tallahassee.''

The third Republican in the race, state Rep. Anitere Flores, raised $9,025 through the end of March. A survey last week by Florida International University associate professor Dario Moreno showed Rivera beating Flores by a 2-1 margin. More than half of the voters were undecided. Moreno said Llorente was not included in the poll, which was conducted for a private client.

The Senate district is currently represented by Alex Villalobos, who said he had been planning to help Llorente take his seat.

Bullard to become dean of Miami-Dade's state senators

Political consultant Ric Sisser makes an interesting observation: Term limits are forcing out Republicans Sens. Rudy Garcia, Alex Diaz de la Portilla and Alex Villalobos in 2010, and Democratic Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami is resigning his seat to run for attorney general. That leaves Miami-Dade with only one non-rookie state senator -- Democrat Larcenia Bullard -- during the critical and politically charged redistricting process in 2012.

"That's a pretty big loss in Miami-Dade's power,'' Sisser said.

Sisser's observation is not without a political agenda. He's a strong supporter of former state Sen. Gwen Margolis, who is touting her 18 years of experience as she vies to get her old seat back now held by Gelber.

Margolis could face a Democratic primary against another old-timer, former state Sen. Ron Silver. State Rep. Richard Steinberg of Miami Beach just endorsed Margolis and announced he will not run.